System of electric-circuit control.



F. W. HARRIS.

SYSTEM 015 ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 9, 1908.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

WITNESSES:

F033) "W. EAR-BIS, F 'WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR, BY IIIESNE ASSIGN- E/IEITTS, TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC MANUFACTUEZIEQG COMPAEFY,

or ease PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PEE'I'NSYLVAKEA.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CQHTRGL.

Specification of Letters Extent.

rae atee reii, i e, lore,

Application filed March 9, 1902. Serial No. moose.

To all whom it may cqgwern:

known that l, Fore l J'. HARRIS, a

citizen of the United States, anda resident j'ct to provide a system of the aforesaid class that shall be simple in arrangement and adapted to efiiect the introduction of a time elem nt into the automatic operation or" t 1e nterrupter Without interfering with its remote control by an attendant.

Automatic circuit mterrupters are ire- :inently situated Where they are not readily accessible and, in such cases, it is desirable to completely govern their operation from iistant point. For exmnple, a high voltage line construction for electric rail- Wevse oil-immersed circuit intcrrupters are employed for providing a shunt circuit about section-break insulator, the circuit nruoiiers being located on the structure 3 supnorts the line conduction 7'11 to my present ii tion l 1;

. Snitching device or controller my 7 e situated in. a signal tower or at any O-Llldl' convenient point and which is adapted "troduce-azi auxiliary circuit interrupter n time element in shunt to the tripll of the main circuit interrupter durme automatic operation of the inter- 1c element device being e circuit whenever itis SlihlllQ to change the position oi the main interrupter at the Will of an attendant.

lhc mgle figure of the accompanying tlra'nrir g 1s a diagrammatic view of a Syse1 :11"- ed in accordance with my" inveir by means of a link 10, a bell crank lever-11, a latch. 12, a lever 13 having a roller 14 that is engaged by a hooked projection 15 from the movable core member and a gib l 16 which is engaged by the latch 12. When the circuit interrupter is closed the stationary and movable contact members may be held engagement with each other, independen 'ly of the operating magnet, by means of a second latch 17 which is rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 18 and is adapted to engage the gib 16: The tripping magnet 8, when energized, acts through a hell crank lever 19 and a link 19 in opposition to a spring 20, to Withdraw the latch 12 from the gib 16 and thus permits the movable contact member to fall, H

latch 1? f in the form of a bell crank lever and is provided With an arm 21 which is engaged by a projection 22 on the lever (5 when the stationary and movable contact members are separated from each. other, to etlect such rotative movement in opposition to a spring; 2-3 nsto disengage the latch 17 t' one the 16, The movable core member the magnet T is th permitted to drop toe magnet Windingis energized.

operation of the circuit interrupter 111.0"12ll1l651llY dependent upon the current dieing the main ircuit since the tripg coil 8 is directly connected "to the s'ec 25, but its action may also be made responsive to the will. of an attendant at any 'dis- :antpoint by means of a controller 26 Which adapted to occupy any one of positions a, :0, and 3 The posi '11 of the main circuit inter lptcr indicated by lamps 217 and 28 which may replaced by any other suitvi 1 e or audible indicators and which are preferably located near the controller 26.

An auxiliary switch statioi'mry Contact members 30 and 31and :1 movable contact arm 32 is o-peratively connectcd to the lever 6 by means of a link 33, the movable contactarm being moved into stationary cont ct members according as the main circuit interrupter is opening or closa A fuse 34, or other suitable circuit interrupter having a time element,- is connected in,

shunt circuit relation to the tripping coil 8 under ce-tal1n conditions, hereinafter po nted which comprises gement with the one or the other of the.

out, for the purpose of preventing the automatic interruption of the main circuit when harmless fluctuations occur in the main cir cuit current. v

The operation oi, and the "at counections for, the device are as follows: Assuming that the controller 26 occupies its position a, as shown in the drawings, and that the circuit interrupter if; is closed, it will be observed that the tripping coil 8 is energized in accordance with the current traversing the main circuit, circuit connecti ons being established from one terminal 35 of the series transformer 25 through a conductor 36, tripping coil 8 and conductor 37 to the opposite transformer terminal 38. A shunt circuit to the tripping coil is established from the conductor 36 through conductors 39 and 40, fuse 34, conductor 41,

" contact fingers 42 (that are bridged by contact member 43 when the controller 26 oocupies the position a), conductor 44, movable contact member 32, stationary contaet terminal 31 and a conductor 45 to the conductor 37 which is joined to the opposite terminal of the tripping coil. The resistance of the fuse 34 relative to that of the tripping coil. is such that the current traversing the tripping coil is not sutficient to release the latch 12 and the circu it traversing the fuse under normal conditions in the main circuit is not sutlicient to rupture the shunt circuit established throiiigh it., It will be readily understood that if the main circuit current rises above the predetermined normal value for a relatively short time the fuse will not be ruptured but if the abnormal current continues for a considerable length of time the fuse will be overheated and the shunt circuit will be interrupted. Immediately following such interruption, the curent traversing the tripping coil will be considerably increased and the latch 12 will be released from the gib 16 in opposition to the spring 20, thereby permitting the circuit breaker to open and the movable member 9 of the operating magnet 7 to drop, as above indicated. The fuse 34 is preferably located near the controller 26 so that it may be i readily replaced when it is destroyed. The

circuit interrupter may be closed by so moving the drum of the controller 26 that it shall engage the fingers along the line 1 to establish an auxiliary circuit from one terminal 46 of any suitable source, such as a. generator 47, through conductor 48, contact fin gcrs 4t) and 50 (which are bridged by a. contact member 51 whet the controller 26 oocupies this position), conductor 52, winding 53 of the operating magnet 7, andconductors 39 and 40 to the opposite terminal 54 of the generator 47. When the fuse 34 is replaced and the main circuit interrupter is closed the drum of the controller 26 may be returned to engage the fingers along line a in which automatic operation of the interrupter is permitted. If it is desired to open the circuit interrupter at the will of an attendant without rupturing the fuse 34, the controller drum may be moved to engage the lingers along line a: in which fingers 49 and 43 respectively engage connected segments and 56 to establish a circuit from the terminal 46 of the generator 47 through conductor 48, contact finger 49, contact segments 55 and 56, Contact finger 42, conductor 44, switch arm 32, contact terminal 31, conductor 45, tripping coil 8 and conductors 39 and 40 to the terminal 54 of the generator 47. then the main circuit interrupter is closed nd the auxiliary switch arm 32 engages tintact member 31, the indicator 23 is energized, circuit being established from conductor 48 through the switch 29, conductor 45, tripping magnet 8 and conductor 39 to the auxiliary conductor 40, and when the circuit interrupter is opened the indicator 27 is actuated, circuit being established from 0on ductor 48 through contact member 30, switch arm 32, conductor 44 and the indicating device 27 to auxiliary line conductor 40.

Although I have illustrated a type of circuit interrupter specially adapted for use in my improved circuit control system, and although I have shown a fuse as a time element feature, my invention is not restricted in this regard and it is conceivable that modifications in the arrangement of the circuits of the system as well as modifications in the structure of the interrupter or type of time element device may be effected within the scope of my invention. Consequently I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a main circuit and an interrupter therefor having stationar and movable contact members, means for holding the members in engagement with each other electro-magnets for operating the movable contact member and for rel msing the holding means, and a circuit interrupter having a time element, of an 211lXll iary circuit and a controller for selectively supplying energy to the electro-magnets and for connecting the interrupter having a time element in shunt circuit relation to the release magnet.

2. The combination with an automatic circuit breaker having stationary and movable contact members and operating and release magnets, an auxiliary switch cont-rolled by the movable member and a circuit interrupter having a time element, of a remote controller to act in conjunction with the auxiliary switch and connect the circuit interrupter having a time element in shunt circuit relation to the relcase'magnet.

3. In a system of electric circuit control,

' the combination with a main circuit, an ini cuit breaker having stationary and movable tion.

'main circuit and to the auxiliarycircuit, of

other, electro magnets controller for selectively supplying energy t magnet.

the combination with a main circuit, an interrupter therefor having stationary and movable contact members, an operating magnet and a release magnet having independent windings, an auxiliary circuit and connec-' ions from the release magnet to the main circuit and to the auxiliary circuit, of remote means for introducing a time element into the automatic operation of the breaker.

4:. In a system of electric circuit control,

terrupter having stationary and movable contact members, an operating magnet and an automatic release I n'agnet having independent windings, an auxiliary circuit and connections from the release vmagnet to the main circuit and to the auxiliary circuit,

of remote means for" governing the operation of the circuit-interrupter and for introducing a time element into its automatic opera- 5. In a system ofelectric circuit control, the combination with' a 'main circuit, an interrupter having stationary" and movable contact members, an operating magnet and an automatic release magnet having independent windings, an auxiliary circuit and connections from the release magnet to the a controller for selectively supplying energy from the auxiliary circuit to the electromagnets and for connecting an auxiliary cir- 6. The combination with an automatic cirmagnets, of a remote controller for governing the automatic operation of the circuit breaker and for connecting a fuse in shunt relation to the release magnet.

' 7. The combination with a main circuit and an interrupter having stationary and movable contact members, means for holding the members in enga ement witheach or operating the movable member and for releasing the holding meansmf a fuse and an auxiliary circuit the electro-magnets and for connecting the fuse in shunt circuit relation to the release 8. The combination with an'automatic circontact membersand operating andrelease magnets ,an auxiliary switch controlled by the movable member, and a fuse,- of a remote controller acting in conjunction with the auxiliary switch to connect the fuse in shunt circuit relation to the release ma et.

9. In a system of electric circuit control, the combination with a main circuit, an interrupter therefor having a stationary and movable contact members, an operating magnet and a release magnet having independent windings, an auxiliary circuit and connections from the release magnet to the main circuit and to the auxiliary circuit, and a fuse, of'a controller for governing the operation of the circuit interrupter and for introducing atime element into its automatic operation by associating the fuse with the release magnet. i

' 10. In a system of electric circuit control, the combination with a main circuit, an interrupter therefor. having stationary and movable contact members, an operating magnet and 'a release'magnet having inde end ent windings, an auxiliary circuit .an controller for selectively supplying energy from the auxiliary circuit-to the electro-magnets and for connecting a fuse in shunt circuit relation'to the release magnet.

11. The combination with a circuitinterrupter having electrorrespons'ive operating means, a release magnet and a winding there.

for, of a time element circuit interrupterin shunt circuit to the release magnet and .re- I mote means for concurrently excluding the time element circuit interrupter and actuating the operating means.

12. The combination with a circuit breaker having a release magnet winding ancl a fuse in shunt clrcuit therewith, of remote means for excluding the fuse and operating the breaker.

13. The combination with a circuit breaker having an automatic release magnet winding and a fuse acting in conjunction therewith, of manually-operated remote means for excluding the breakerv In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 21st day of F ebruary, 1908,

I FORD W. HARRIS. Witnesses:

' BIRNEY HINES,

HERBERT FABER.

fuse and operating the circuit 

